Pliers



L. 0. FOWLER.

Patented J 11116 29 atfozmm 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS :o. FOWLER, or OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR or oN'E-HALr To J. PosrnLLE, or OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA.

PLIERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1920.

Application filed December 19, 1919. Serial No. 345,944.

powerful grip upon the object to be held may be obtained, while the resultant strain will be exerted in a longitudinal direction rather than in a lateral dinarily the case.

It is a further object'of the invention to combine with pliers of the character set forth elements adapting the tool to act as a bolt, wire or nail cutter and to so correlate the parts that the strain incident to the cutting of such articles will be exerted in a direction lengthwise of the tool, rather than transversely thereof and wherein the lever available during such action will be such that an exceedingly powerful action of the tool will result.

Further objects of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of pliers constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial side view looking from the opposite side thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view upon line 33 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the tool comprises a pair of handles 5 and 6. The handle 5 carries an enlarged head 7 that is extended laterally to form a beak 8 having a concave face 9 that is toothed to engage and hold round objects such as pipes, rods, or the like. At the juncture of the concave face 9 and the handle 5 there is provided an arcuate recess 10 that constitutes a lateral overhang with respect to the handle 5 and the edge of which is sharpened to co-act with a aw 12 that is formed upon the handle 6. Since direction as is orthis recess constitutes a lateral overhang with respect to handle 5 it follows that the strain incident to cutting off a nail, bolt or like object will be in a direction lengthwise of the handle, and thus the cutting element will be backed up bythe entire thickness of the enlarged head 7.

The jaw 12 constitutes a substantially Y- shaped extension of the handle 6, and one extremity or the heel of the Y constitutes the pivotal point for the handle 6 with respect tothe handle 5, the pivot consisting of a stud 13 which projects through an elongated slot 14: formed in the handle 5. The shape of the shank of this stud is semicircular as indicated at 15 in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This shank is adapted to en gage in' any one of a series of notches 16 formed along one side of the slot 1 1, so that objects of varying sizes may be gripped between the teeth 9 of the beak 8 and teeth 17 formed upon a straight edge of the jaw 12, said edge extending in a substantially straight line from the pivot point laterally with respect to the tool.

It will be seen that by virtue of this combination and correlation of parts the pivotal mounting of the handle 6 with respect to handle 5 is brought so close to the several working surfaces that a very powerful leverage is secured, while at the same time all of the strain is exerted in anendwise direction.

It will be observed that the point of the beak 8 is shaped in such manner as to constitute a staple pulling device and that this beak coacts with the jaw 12 in such a way as to adapt the structure to pull either nails or staples. 13y manipulating the tool in such way as to cause the head of a nail to be gripped between the point of the beak and the co-acting surface of the jaw 12 and then rocking the tool over upon the convex face of the beak 8 a very powerful drawing action may be exerted upon the nail or staple.

To further add to the utility of the tool the handle 5 is flattened at 18 to constitute a screw-driver, and the handle 6 is curved and forked at 19 to constitute a claw.

While the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

"laving described my invention, what I claim is 1. A tool of the character described comprising a pair of handles, one of which is provided with an enlarged head constituting a lateral overhang having a concave toothed surface at its inner side, and the other of which terminates in a substantially Y-shaped portion toothed along that surface which faces toward the said toothed concave surface, means for pivoting the second handle to the first handle at the heel of the Y and in substantial alinement with the teeth thereon, said means comprising a stud carried by one of said handles, the other of said handles being provided with a longitudinally extending slot having teeth along one of its edges with which said stud is adapted to engage and against which the said stud acts in a line substantially parallel with the direction of strain exerted in the operation of the tool.

2. A tool of the character described comprising a pair of handles, one of which is provided with an enlarged head constituting a lateral overhang with respect to said handle, said head being provided with a concave face that is toothed, the second handle comprising a substantially Y-shaped jaw, means for pivoting said jaw with respect to the first-named handle at the heel of said jaw, said jaw comprising a substantially straight portion which extends from the pivotal point across the top of said jaw and is toothed for a portion of its length opposite the teeth of the first-named jaw to the outer extremity thereof, and left untoothed for the remainder of its length toward the pivot, said untoothed portion constituting one element of a bolt or nail cutter, the other element of said bolt or nail cutter consisting of an arcuate overhang formed at the junction of the head and the handle of the first-named handle, the first-named handle being provided with an elongated slot in which the pivot of the second handle is longitudinally movable, one wall of said slot being provided with notches with which said pivot is adapted to engage to thereby adjust the pivotal point of the second handle longitudinally with respect to the first handle and in a line substantially parallel to the line of strain during operation of the tool.

In testimony whereof I affix'my signature.

LEWIS D. FOWLER. 

